Elliott Smith — Stabbed in the Heart

It seemed like a tragic but not altogether surprising end: long-tormented singer-songwriter with a history of severe depression and drug addiction commits suicide after a fierce fight with his girlfriend. Elliott Smith died on Oct. 21, 2003, from two chest wounds that were thought to be self-inflicted. Specifically, he was stabbed in the heart with a kitchen knife, and he reportedly left a brief Post-It suicide note at the scene.

But Smith's death was never ruled a suicide; the final autopsy left open the possibility of homicide, and several media outlets posed valid questions about the cause of death. Much speculation focused on the involvement of his girlfriend, who admitted that she pulled the knife out but swears she didn't put it in. Officially the case remains open, but the authorities have long since let it go.